Royal Duchess | BRF Story

Cakes and Tears

"We have to be very quiet, sweetheart." Amelia says, carefully opening their bedroom door where George was still asleep. While the Duchess sat down next to her husband she let Vicky crawl into her fathers' chest, who almost immediately woke up.

"Dada!" Vicky screams, jumping on her fathers' chest, happy to see her fathers' face.

"Hi, little princess."

"Happy birthday, my love." Amelia says, smiling to her husband, while he sits on the bed, putting baby Vicky on his lap.

"Thank you."

"We are going to let dada get ready, while we eat breakfast, don't we, sweetheart?"

A last kiss from Victoria to her father and a last kiss shared by the couple and Amelia took her daughter down for breakfast, while her husband got ready for another day at work. The Duchess also had a handful of meetings and engagements that day, some of them related to her daughters' first birthday party, and so Nanny Harriet would take over after breakfast.

- - -

The Duke and Duchess of Clarence left Kensington Palace early in the afternoon, headed for a meeting with the Queen and other members of the Royal Family, for a round table about Trooping, since it would be happening in less than a week.

"Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Clarence." The butler announced as the couple entered the meeting room, where most members of the Royal Family and some more were gathered.

"Hello, you." Amelia said, kissing both of Catherines' cheeks, her baby bump prominent on the dress she was wearing.

"Hello, you. How is Vicky?"

"Well, very well, still can't believe my baby girl will be one in just two days. And you? How is pregnancy?"

"Exhausting, but we're almost there." Catherine says, putting her hand on the belly and smiling. "Baby is due in the latter half of July, so still a month to go, but almost there."

"You'll think that this last leg seems to last forever, but like with the blink of an eye you'll have your baby with you."

"I hope."

"Her Majesty The Queen. Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall."

The family headed to their assigned seats as The Queen sat on her chair, on one end of the table.

"Thank you all for coming for this last meeting, before my official birthday. Lord Chamberlain, please." The Lord Chamberlain, also known as Earl Peel and the gentleman who arranged every important and official part of Amelias' engagement and wedding, opened his notes on the other side of the table.

"Thank you, Your Royal Highnesses, my Lords, and Ladies. This will be a run-through of the actual event, so I would kindly ask you to be observant and if there are any questions to ask."

A pause and a clearing of the throat, and the Lord Chamberlain continued.

"On the 15th of June, The Royal Family will leave Buckingham Palace, will travel the Mall by carriage to the Horse Guards' building, and will be watching the parade from the Duke of Wellingtons' former office."

"As always there will be three carriages and Her Majestys' carriage, who will leave Buckingham Palace last. The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duchess of Clarence, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will travel on the first carriage, followed by Prince Harry, The Duke of York, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie. And on the third carriage The Earl and Countess of Wessex with Lady Louise."

After thirty minutes the run-through was over and the Lord Chamberlain started asking final questions to put the final touches on the event.

"Oh yes, Uhm, Your Royal Highnesses, will Princess Victoria be joining on the balcony?"

Amelia looked at her husband, trying to hide her surprise. They had talked about Trooping but they had never even mentioned Victoria joining them so early, and honestly, they had completely forgotten about it, with Vickys' birthday being only five days before the event.

For the next minute, it was like they had had a complete discussion without even opening their mouths, and when George looked at Earl Peel once again they had come to an agreement.

"Yes, yes she will."

- - -

The Duke and Duchess of Clarence are very pleased to share three photographs of Princess Victoria on the occasion of her first birthday.

On the night before Victorias' birthday and after the little princess had been put to bed by her parents, Amelia found herself crying in her closet, hugging the blanket her daughter left hospital wrapped in. Soon afterward she was found by her husband, who took her on his arms and led her to their bed.

Amelia felt like she was losing control of the only thing in her life she actually had control over, her daughter. She planned her meals, she was there for most of the bath times and she was always there for bedtime stories, and with Victorias' first birthday she would be expected to step up her game since now she didn't have a baby anymore.

"I don't want to lose her, George. I don't want to let her go."

She knew once Victoria was old enough and somewhat conscious of her actions she would have little say on what her daughter said and did, and she wasn't ready.

"I know seeing our baby girl grow up is hard, Bee, and I know you would like her to always be a baby, our baby. But we have to understand that it's just not possible."

"I know I'm... I'm just not ready."